NEW OWNERS HAVE
DUNDALK FC TAKEOVER
DUNDALK FC’s ‘magical’ European adventure of 2016 was what first attracted the new ownership group to the club.
Speaking at Sunday evening’s supporters’ gathering in the YDC, Jordan Gardner outlined what attracted the new investors to take over from Paul Brown and Andy Connolly.
He also assured those present that they were here to build on what the club had achieved in recent years.
‘For me on a personal note, I was at home in the States in 2016 watching on television when Dundalk made the group stages of the Europe League. It was just something that was magical in so many ways.
‘As we were approached with this opportunity we learned more about the club, we met Andy and Paul, Stephen Kenny and the different people who have built this club to where it is today and I think there are just so many things that are just so incredible that we have discovered about this club. For me it’s about having fans, volunteers, sponsors – people who are genuine about this club and that was what was very attractive about this club and we are very excited to basically build off what Andy, Paul and Stephen have done.
‘We’re not here to reap it, we’re here to use our expertise whether that’s in data analytics or player recruitment with our connections across global football to build and just really add to what the club already has.
‘We’re very excited to be here and we’re looking forward to getting to know each of you on an individual level either tonight or as the season progresses,’ said Gardner.
FANS hoping for news of a massive revamp of Oriel Park would have been disappointed leaving the YDC on Sunday.
The new club’s owners made it abundantly clear early on at the supporters’ meeting that investing in the team rather than the facilities was their primary short term goal.
That quickly quashed rumours that had circulated prior to Christmas that the American investment group led by Peak6 were set to upgrade Oriel Park to a 7,000-8,000 all-seater stadium.
That’s not to say that won’t happen someday but such a move is dependent on success on the field.
Asked about the club’s plans, incoming chief executive Mal Brannigan said: ‘The plans in the short, medium and long term are to continue to build this football club.
‘What Andy and Paul have done over the last few years is outstanding. It’s amazing where this football club is.
‘We’ve loaned Cork the title for the last year but we’re going to take it back again next year,’ he said to raucous applause.
‘What we’re looking for in the short, medium and long term is to build the product on the pitch. I think around that we will continue to build what we can with the infrastructure but most importantly if we don’t have a successful football team then the infrastructure is worthwhile but it doesn’t have the benefit of having a successful football team.
‘We want to become a focal point for the town. It’s very strong already but we want to be known as a European football club that plays in Ireland rather than the other way around. We want to be up there and competing in Europe every single year.
‘You will see infrastructure at some point in time but from my point of view it won’t be immediate. It’s all about the football club first and foremost and then around that we will look after fans but it will be gradual and over time rather than very instant,’ said Brannigan.
But he did give a commitment to improve the highly criticised away section of the ground.
‘We’d like to improve it,’ he said. ‘I think it’s important that we’re seen as a stadium where we welcome people. We’ll make them feel welcome off the park. On the park we want to compete as hard as possible but we want there to be a great atmosphere here and a welcoming club so that fans from away teams feel as though if they’re going to do two or three away games a year that we’ll be one of the ones they’ll pick out and come to because they enjoy the experience.’
THE new owners have promised longer term contracts for players as they look to retain the services of the club’s leading assets going forward.
In recent years Stephen Kenny has lost several of his star players to club’s abroad for no fees, including Patrick McEleney and David McMillan from last year’s side.
Already there has been a commitment to try and prevent that from happening again with many players signed up for the next two seasons and Sean Gannon committed to a deal that takes him to the end of the 2020 campaign.
Asked about the matter at Sunday’s supporters’ meeting in the YDC, incoming chief executive Malachy Brannigan confirmed there ‘will be longer term contracts.’
He said: ‘I think it’s essential for two things, the first is that the players feel they know there is work here on a continuous basis and that we will invest in them.
‘Also that from our perspective and the manager’s perspective that he knows who he is working with over a period of time rather than an annual basis because it must be very hard to try to rebuild a football club and a football team every single year when you’re losing your best players to other clubs and clubs overseas.
‘We want to give stability to the manager to be able to have a sustainable football club going forward.’
Brannigan confirmed that he would work alongside Stephen Kenny when it came to recruiting players but new board chairman Mike Treacy said players would only be recruited from the likes of Bournemouth or Roma – clubs Peak6 have stakes in – if it suited all parties.
THE new owners of Dundalk FC told fans at Sunday’s gathering at the YDC that they were ‘100% committed to this project’ and weren’t going into it ‘half-paced.’
Those with apprehensions over the club’s ownership falling out of local hands have expressed fears Pictures: Ken Finegan
over the new group losing interest if the club fails to achieve the success hoped for on the field.
However, board member Jordan Gardner moved to ease those concerns by insisting that all of the investors were committed to Dundalk FC for the long term.
‘For all of us, we are 100% committed to this project,’ said the San Francisco native.
‘All of us have various backgrounds both in business and in football globally and in the United States and we’re not the type of people who would go into a project half-paced.
‘This is something we are committed to in the short, medium and long-term
THE new owners will look into the possibility of fielding a women’s football team going forward.
Initial conversations on getting a female side off the ground were raised at Sunday’s supporters’ meeting in the YDC with club general manager Martin Connolly revealing that he was due to meet the FAI on the matter on Monday.
New club CEO Mal Brannigan added that a women’s side would be beneficial in terms of adding further links with the community.
‘We’re definitely interested in girls football in Dundalk,’ he said.
‘The gentlemen in front of us talked about community and community isn’t just about men’s football. Community is about reaching all areas of the community and girls football is an integral part of that.
The club’s link with local schools was also queried with Brannigan saying he hoped to improve those too.
‘From what I’ve picked up on the
links are good. I presume by the question it can be improved but we’ll be linking with the community as much as we possibly can and that includes schools, from an education point of view, from a health perspective and from an inclusion point of view so they feel part of the football club as well.’
THE new owners have vowed to work with the FAI to improve the League of Ireland as a whole.
The new ownership group were due to meet FAI chief executive John Delaney yesterday (Monday) to outline their vision to him.
Aware of that meeting, Lilywhites supporter John Logan asked what the new owners’ feelings were on the organisation.
Logan made his feelings known that many League of Ireland fans were not in favour of how the FAI promoted the league.
He said: ‘Most feel they do nothing for our sport, they do nothing for League of Ireland, they do nothing for Sports Capital Grants, TV money, streaming, I could go on and on. Are you willing to work with the FAI or take them on to do better for League of Ireland football as a whole, especially Dundalk Football Club?
Responding to that query, new board chairman Mike Treacy said they wanted to see the League of Ireland as a whole improved.
‘Our investment in Dundalk is not just an investment in the club but also in the League of Ireland,’ he said.
‘We need to work with the FAI. It’s not our role to come in here and tell them how to act. We need to work with them and all the other clubs and just assess the situation and set a goal and work towards that goal. It’s not going to happen overnight
‘I know there have been these issues between clubs and the FAI for years but we’re going to meet with them tomorrow and set an agenda to see what we need to do to optimise the League of Ireland.’
DUNDALK manager Stephen Kenny threw his backing behind the club’s new owners with an impassioned speech that drew huge applause at Sunday night’s supporters’ meeting in the YDC.
Described as the ‘key to our success’ by Nicky McCourt during the gathering, Kenny drew the loudest cheers of the night when he took to his feet with a mic in hand.
He spoke about the ‘great journey’ the club had enjoyed under former owners Paul Brown and Andy Connolly but insisted it didn’t have to stop now and said there were plenty more big nights ahead.
He said: ‘I’ve been very lucky over the last five years to come to Dundalk as manager. I’ve been blessed to come here
‘ I’ve worked for Paul Brown and Andy Connolly for five years. It has been well known that they came to Donegal and we had soup and the rest is history. It has been a great relationship and they’ve been magnificent owners. I’ve been very lucky to work for them for five years. It has been a great journey.
‘They have done a great job for the club because when they came in here we had nothing. They came in before I did but I remember the Save Our Club campaign, packing bags in supermarkets to save the club. That’s only six years ago so it’s hard to believe (where we are now) when you consider that.
‘Paul and Andy came in and took